Russian Industrial Output Rises 3.9% In First Quarter

Russian industrial production rose by 3.9% in the first quarter from the figure for the same period last year, and grew by 4% in March alone from March 2004, the federal statistics office said April 18.

Compared with February, March output increased by 8.1%.

For all of 2004, output grew by 6.1% from the previous year, the statistics office said. Russia's economic development ministry is targeting a 5.1% rise in industrial output this year, and 6.5% growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005